Tampa Bay Buccaneers K Connor Barth tears Achilles playing basketball

A lot of NFL players like to keep in shape during the offseason by playing basketball, but Tampa Bay Buccaneers kicker Connor Barth has reminded us that there are risks involved with doing so. On Wednesday, the Bucs announced that Barth will miss the entire 2013 season after he suffered a torn Achilles while playing in a charity basketball game.

Tampa Bay signed former New York Giants kicker Lawrence Tynes to replace Barth.

“We are disappointed to lose a productive player like Connor, but are very fortunate to be able to sign an experienced kicker at this time of year,” Bucs GM Mark Dominik said. “Lawrence and his agent, Ken Harris, had other standing opportunities, but we are pleased that they thought this was the right place for Lawrence to continue his career.”

Barth could have torn his Achilles during any type of physical activity, so we’re certainly not going to fault him for taking part in a charity basketball game with other players. The thing that is worth noting, however, is that this Pro Bowl linebacker reportedly suffered his Achilles injury during a basketball game last season as well.

Achilles injuries are some of the worst in sports, as they take several months to fully recover from. Though a place kicker is much easier to replace than most other skill positions, shooting hoops has emerged as a silent killer for the NFL.